' quarantining/filtering of suspect emails-to the extent this would not cause a significant administrative burden on the employer; and of course full cooperation with the investigative authorities.

' pastoral support for the employee, and appropriate communications to other staff and customers to neutralize the impact of any threatened escalation.

In an extreme case I could envisage a situation where an employer, who had ignored requests for assistance over a long period but kept the email account open regardless, could even possibly liable for republishing the defamatory statements issued by the perpetrator.

The possibility of such liability can easily be avoided, however, by timely action once the threat is made known to the employer.

Peter Bullock is Head of Technology & Services Law, Asia Pacific and a Partner of Masons' International Law Firm. He can be contacted at peter.bullock@pinsentmasons.com.